RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
5. Theoretical Considerations
It is essential in any research study to ensure that the study is actually of worth, not only to the researcher but to the participants and to the wider world. The potential for this study is great; the descriptive journey of how one school works towards enhanced
student achievement through the use of a model of curriculum integration based on New Zealand’s revised curriculum has prospective benefits for all New Zealand schools as they face, at the very least, the journey to implement a revised curriculum. Nonetheless, such benefits need to be based on substantiated findings and thus, there are certain theoretical research considerations that need to be accounted for. These will be examined now.
5.1
Validity & Reliability
Merriam (1998) suggests that issues around validity and reliability are most effectively addressed through the case study design and the manner in which data is collected, analysed and presented, and this is dependent on the research design and purpose.
5.1.1 Internal Validity
Internal validity deals with the question of how research findings match reality, (Merriam, 1998: 201).
There is a juxtaposition posed between many research designs and reality. Reality is considered as holistic, multidimensional and dynamic whereas a single case study observing a single and fixed phenomenon. However, Merriam (1998) identifies six strategies for addressing issues of internal validity:
1. Triangulation, through the use of either, some or all of multiple: investigators, data collection sources, methods of analysis and interpretation to confirm the findings.
2. Member checks, through going back to the participants to check in to see that the data is plausible.
3. Long-term observation, through either long periods of or repeated observations of the same phenomenon.
4. Peer examination
5. Participatory or collaborative modes of research, through the inclusion of participants in all phases of the research.
6. Researcher’s biases, through the clarification of the researcher’s assumptions, views and theoretical perspective from the commencement of the study.
Within this case study, all of these strategies have been employed. Triangulation
occurred through the multiple sources of data collection and methods of analysis, and the use of an outside researcher also helped to ensure further triangulation of the findings. Member checks and participant collaboration frequently occurred with regular checks of the data as I was collecting it and weekly discussions about our journey at staff meetings.
Repeated observations were an integral component of data collection and peer
examination was also essential, both as part of meeting the requirements for the master’s thesis and through the collaboration within the school staff discussed above. Finally, my own biases were acknowledged from the outset of this study. This was fundamental to creating an effective research design.
5.1.2 Reliability
Reliability is concerned with the extent to which the findings of a research study are able to be replicated (Merriam, 1998). In qualitative research, however, reliability is difficult due to the dynamic nature of human behaviour. Despite this, reliability can be
maximized through careful attention to the method used and the data collection, analysis and presentation (Kennedy & Luzar, 1999; Merriam, 1998; Yin, 1993). There are three strategies that can help researchers ensure greater reliability in their findings: first, the explanation of the researcher’s own assumptions, views and theoretical perspective behind the study; second, triangulation; and finally, the detailed description of the researcher’s process. As already noted, the former two strategies were comprehensively used throughout the research process, and the latter can be seen through the description in this thesis.
5.1.3 External Validity
The notion of external validity refers to how generalizable the findings of a study are; that is, how easily can these be applied to other situations. Generalizability is key part of ensuring that the study is of worth to the wider world (Berg, 2004; Merriam, 1998). While the nature of this single case study, focused on a single phenomenon in a single context, makes generalizability more difficult, the use of rich thick description, descriptions of the typicality or commonality of the phenomenon, and the use of multiple sites, cases or situations can help to ensure greater external validity and generalizability (Merriam, 1998). The former strategies are an inherent part of this study; however, the latter was only able to be achieved through the use of purposeful sampling of student participants across the classrooms and the creation of multiple sites through the study of four
different classrooms of differing age groups. This considered, however, through the use of these strategies and the nature of the study which is so topical to New Zealand
educators currently, this study has been assured of external validity and generalizability to other situations.
6.
Ethical Considerations
Perhaps the most important consideration in undertaking any research is what ethical principles need to guide the investigation. Historically, early researchers showed little concern for the inherent ethical issues of their research (Merriam, 1998). In recent years, since 1945, ethical codes of conduct have been developed to ensure the safety of both research participants and the researcher’s themselves. Merriam (1998) suggests that the most common ethical issues faced in qualitative research studies are concerned with data collection and the development of research findings. In addition to this, are
considerations over the relationship between the researcher and the participants, the use of informed consent, the researcher bias and potential power, and the privacy and protection of participants (Bassey, 1999; Berg, 2004; Clark, 1997; Merriam, 1998).
For this research study, as part of meeting the requirements of the master’s thesis, ethical approval was required from Massey University’s Human Ethics Committee. This process required extensive consideration of the research design and all potential ethical issues.
This study was within a school and, with its focus on enhancing student achievement, inevitably meant that children were a central part of my research and would be needed as participants in the study. Massey University’s Code of Ethics (2006) makes explicit the principles of research involving any children under the age of fifteen: the research must only be conducted if there is an identified need and it should not put at risk any one child. The need to enhance student achievement and develop implementation of New Zealand’s revised curriculum, as noted through the literature, was clear. This meant that, through the design of the study, twelve student participants (three from each classroom) and four teacher participants (including the researcher), were invited and required to give informed consent, with parental consent also required for student participants (see appendix 6). Thus, all participants were given informed consent packages containing information sheets in appropriate language and consent forms that were signed and returned once all participants were sure of the research purpose, their rights and their willingness to participate.
The information sheets were comprehensive and clearly explained the purpose of the study for both the school and the researcher to avoid any form of deception (see appendix 7). Further, the information sheets also contained all the measures developed to help minimize harm to the participants. Such measures included using the school office administrator to approach and invite potential student participants, outside researcher observations of my classroom, using the school secretary to conduct the focus group interview of the student participants from my own class, pre-arranged scheduled times for observations of classes as well as teacher participant discussions, and the wearing of an identifying article of clothing during observations to make clear to student
participants when I was in researcher mode. At no point was any child singled out, and the children approached for participation were nominated by their own classroom teachers and reflective of a mixed-ability range of children.
Confidentiality is also a major consideration and Clark (1997) and Massey University (2006) suggest that confidentiality should be proactively maintained. As such,
pseudonyms and codes were used to protect participants’ identities and no consent forms were kept stored with any collected data. Further, access to consent forms and collected data was limited to myself and my supervisors.
Finally, I acknowledged my potential bias. My own theoretical position supports the use of curriculum integration and it was my own research and view point that led to the notions of exploring curriculum integration as a means for teaching the Key Competencies. Despite this, throughout the study I remained open to the journey the school was taking and all the new and developing ideas that came through the development of the
curriculum integration model and its basis not just on the key competencies but on a developed curriculum of Deeper Understandings that were founded on what we, as a school, identified as the essential understandings behind our learning stemming from combinations of both the Key Competencies and the curriculum areas. At all points, I feel, my potential bias had little affect on the overall results but rather led to my full
commitment to ensuring that the research was useful.
7.
Conclusion
For the outcomes of research to be valid, practice needs to be informed by effective understanding of methodology. This chapter has aimed to provide greater insight into the theory behind the research methodology and provide validity to the methods used in this thesis study.
Case study design was most appropriate: the study was focused on a single phenomenon and was bounded by one school with only three teacher participants and four groups of student participants. Descriptive case study design was chosen as the most effective design to successfully answer the research questions: it allowed for rich and intense description of the school’s journey towards an effective model of curriculum integration, based on the QueenslandNew Basics Rich Tasks and New Zealand’s Key Competencies that enhanced student achievement and reflected the theoretical basis behind the study. As is common in case study design, the data collection methods were interviews, observations and document analysis, allowing for effective triangulation and ensuring validity and generalizability of data. Data analysis was carried out using content analysis methods. Analysis of the research findings are presented in the following chapter.